Enough is Enough
by taylyn10
Summary: Missing scene and spoilers for season 10's The Shroud. What happened between the time Daniel got off the ship and woke up in the infirmary?


Missing scene and SPOILERS for season 10's _The Shroud_.

Thanks to the AO ladies for the discussion that got this started.

Feedback is always welcome!

"It's got to stop, Daniel."

I am so not going to go there.

"I'm serious."

Of course you are.

"I'm too damn old to be going through the gate anymore."

And this would be my problem, why?

"I'm too damn old for _this_."

I can feel hands pulling on my clothing, stripping me down to nothing, but I don't have the strength to react, either to stop it or to help with it.

"You know, ascension was bad enough--both times. But at least you were out of trouble."

You sure about that, Jack?

"At least I think you were out of trouble."

That's better.

"At least you weren't dead."

Pretty close, especially the second time.

"But becoming a prior, Daniel? A prior? What if we'd shot you on sight?"

Well, there is that.

"What if we hadn't captured you?"

I knew you'd capture me. I just didn't think it would take so long. You might want to talk with Mitchell about that.

"You've been taken over by zippy little aliens or their weird alien technology more times than I can count."

You saying Thor's a weird alien? I'm not sure he'd appreciate that.

"You got addicted to some damn light, climbed into a sarcophagus."

I said I was sorry, Jack. After all, it was a long time ago.

"Hell, Daniel, you scared the _shit_ out of me."

You think _you_ were scared?

"You were infected by Machello's little bugs, zatted-- How many times _have_ you been zatted?

By teammates or by someone else?

"Fer cryin' out loud, you had a whole boat load of aliens dancing around in your head."

That wasn't my fault either.

"And Anubis? Of all people, you were taken over by Anubis.

So were you, Jack, and it still wasn't my fault. And most certainly not my choice of a roommate.

"Hell, _I_ shot you!"

Yeah, I remember.

"And now Merlin?

At least I'm moving up in the world.

"You know if you're Merlin that makes me about...five hundred years old."

Five hundred? How do you figure that? Merlin lived on earth well over a thousand years ago--"

"And I've gotta tell ya, Danny. I've really got enough gray hairs on my head. I really do. Not a single hair left that's its original color, whatever that was."

Oh, that kind of old.

"And none of them come from the uniform. Not a single one. And nary a one from the stars on my shoulder. None, zip, nada."

I can feel myself turn over and I'm not sure why, but the hands are gentle. My body's still not moving and that's kind of...disturbing.

"This has got to stop, Daniel. It's just got to stop."

You said that before. And I tried to stop. Honestly I did.

"I know we've all saved the world before but you have to stop trying to do it on your own."

Something heavy is on my legs, something warm, and it feels good.

"Or at least doing it on your own without telling anyone else."

I would have told you but it was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing.

"You've got a headache, don't you."

You have no idea.

"That's good. Not that you have a headache but that I can see you have a headache. That means you're responsive to your surroundings."

Who told you that?

"At least that's what Dr. Chen says."

I can feel a hand on my head. It hurts. God, even my hair hurts.

"I hope you haven't scrambled your brains again, not that I think I'd be able to tell."

Not that you could tell? Are we back to the 'little bit flaky' remarks? I'm really not flaky, you know.

"You're not flaky, I know that."

Damn, he's scary when he does that.

"You just get yourself into so much trouble."

Me? You've returned the favor plenty of times.

"I know, I do it too, but it isn't a contest, you know."

Cute, Jack.

"If you want to kick my ass, why don't you just get out the chessboard and do it properly."

His fingers are massaging my temples, his thumbs rubbing over my forehead, and it feels so good. The heavy weight in my head is starting to lift.

"You're scaring the shit out of me."

Now? Or before?

"Every damn time I turn around, you're in trouble. I warned Hank about you."

I thought General Landry liked me.

"And Mitchell."

Colonel Mitchell called me Sunshine. And Daniel. Finally.

"It wasn't you that I didn't trust."

Could have fooled me.

"I've always trusted you. Haven't always agreed with you, but I've always trusted you."

Well, that's good to know.

"I don't trust Merlin. I don't trust anybody that would dump all this stuff in your head."

Hey, I'm not the only one who's had my brain rewired.

"And when _I_ did it, it was an accident."

Uh huh.

"Well, the first time it was an accident."

And the second time? How would you like to explain the second time?

"And the second time... I couldn't let you do it, Daniel. We needed you at the SGC. We needed you to translate. It had to be me."

Just like it had to be me this time, Jack. You know that.

"And even if I trusted Merlin--and that's a big if--I don't trust the priors."

Makes two of us.

"But I trusted you. Just you, Daniel. Not the Ancients, not Merlin. Just you."

I know you did, Jack. I knew you would.

"I just hope we did the right thing."

Me too.

"I've got you cleaned up a bit. Dr. Chen's chomping at the bit outside. He's going to run all kinds of wonderful tests on you."

Oh, joy.

"But you'd better be all right because if I find out you're not, I'll haul your butt all the way back to the Ori galaxy myself."

Sure you will.

"Everybody wants to see you. Teal'c and Carter, of course. And Mitchell. What did you do to Mitchell? He's acting like I stole his best friend."

Mitchell?

"And Vala? I don't think I should leave the two of you alone in a room together."

Thanks. I always knew I could count on you.

"But enough is enough, okay? No more head sucking devices for you."

Nor you, Jack.

"I'm serious, Daniel. I could make it an order."

You could.

"Not that it would make a difference. But I'm telling you, Daniel, no more head sucking devices, even if means the fate of the galaxy. Got it?"

Got it.

"Get some sleep, buddy."

I can feel the fingers in my hair again.

"I'll be right here when you wake up."

Of course you will, Jack. I never doubted it for a minute.


End file.
